Integrity, respect, and humility are only a few of the characteristics that pave the way of a San Jose Police Officers' commitment to the community. Officers carry these characteristics out everyday and yet they are done in such a quiet, humble way as not too bring attention to who the officers really are as an everyday person. That is why we wish to recognize some of the heroes that are intertwined within the very community they serve.

On March 24th, we remember fallen San Jose Police Officer Michael Johnson. Tough times for the Police Department were made even tougher when Officer Johnson was killed by a suicidal man who was mentally ill.

Today, we remember fallen San Jose Police Officers Gordon Silva and Gene Simpson. On January 20, 1989, Simpson and Silva were killed in a firefight with a mentally ill pedestrian who wrestled Simpson's gun away. Below is an account of this terrible tragedy that was published in the Mercury News following their deaths.